Electoral Reform: CDHR FCT Carpets Senate, Akpabio, Rejects Option Of Election Results Manual Transmission

By Joseph Sunday 

A prominent leader of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja Branch, Comrade Dan Sabi, under the CDHR National President, Comrade Debo Adeniran, has carpeted Senator Godswill Akpabio’s led Nigerian Senate over the passage of the option of manual transmission of election results side by side with the e-transmission recently adopted. 

Comrade Dan Sabi however advocate for the use of starlink technology as a way of fixing the issue of network in areas where there are no network. 

Dan Sabi held the view that the claims that many parts of Nigeria have poor access network facility shows the ineptitude of the Akpabio-Led 10th Senate because they ignored the power of technology. 

He described Starlink as a major internet network breakthrough in Nigeria that is very much available for patronage and serve the most remote communities in the Country.

He expressed the hope that funding will not be a problem or constraint as over N1.1 trillion naira has been budgeted for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, in the 2026 budget.

He reminded the Nigerian Senate and the Senator Godswill Akpabio’s led leadership that the constitution already provides opportunity for a supplementary budgeting in case of unbudgeted necessities, insisting that no price too much to pay for a transparent electoral system in the Country. 

He also described manual transmission of election results as a major loophole at polling units during elections as well as an avenue that politicians exploited to rig themselves into power.

In his words, Dan Sabi said, “the Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, FCT Abuja Branch strongly condemned it and affirmed that only e-transmission of results can truly reform the electoral system in Nigeria.

“CDHR as a people centered organization that has been defending human rights since it was formed in April 1989, urged the 10th Senate to listen to the voice of reason and totally expunge manual transmission from the resolution”.

He reminded the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio to remember that he is a product of a flawed electoral process, and so, should reconvene the house and remove the manual transmission option which still poses a serious threat to the credibility of the electoral process.

“Should the Senate President Godswill Akpabio failed to ensure that the House reconvenes to remove manual transmission, members of the Senate should ensure that he faces impeachment to avoid a looming civil disobedience that may result due to his poor leadership”.